Ragged Heroes
by MissBubbles
Summary: Where are all the ragged heroes, buried in their suits of iron so fine? - John Tarns
1. Brotherhood

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot (or what there is of one)

Author's note: Just a drabble in an attempt to get over writer's block. I'm going to write one of these for each of the knights and I might continue after that if I fancy. Anyway, tell me what you think! Ragged Heroes Brotherhood

**Ragged Heroes  
_Brotherhood_**

Galahad wonders if home will ever come. He finds it hard to believe that Sarmatia could have ever been as cold as this.

He wonders if it's only him feeling the cold. He finds it hard to believe sometimes, when he's lying on dirt, in the rain, with nothing but a saddle blanket to shield him from the elements, that he was ever warm at all.

Galahad wonders how much colder it would be if Gawain's hot breath wasn't there to warm his neck. He finds it hard to believe that there could have ever been at home without Gawain.


	2. Fear

**Ragged Heroes**  
**_Fear_**

Dagonet is used to seeing the fear in people's eyes when they first look upon him. He can see the same fear in this boy's eyes as he is pulled from his prison, out into the pale rebuking sunlight.

Dagonet has always wanted a family; a wife and children that he can come home to and who will greet him when he returns. It is what he longs for in every waking moment.

Dagonet looks down at the boy in his arms. Clear blue eyes stare back at him – unafraid.

Maybe a family is not so far away after all.


	3. Truth

**Ragged Heroes  
**_**Truth**_

Arthur had never mentioned to Lancelot about how he sometimes wished their freedom would never come. It was a thought that Arthur hated himself for. Selfish; unjust; unkind; it was everything Arthur had never wanted to be.

Arthur, however, could not deny the truth in his thoughts. He truly wished he would never have to see his knights return home. Not because he did not want them to live, but because he feared what would happen once they had left.

It was a fear of finding that Lancelot spoke true of Rome and God; fear of loosing Lancelot's words altogether.


	4. Tears

Author's note:Finally, an update. This one's for _Hera's Vengeance_, who requested Gawain's chapter ages ago. I hope you like it, despite it being such a sad subject matter.  
**  
Ragged Heroes  
_Tears_**

It had been one week. One week since Gawain had spoken a word. One week since Gawain had cried.

He remembered Arthur saying they were too young to die. But Gawain thought differently: you were never too young to die. He had known that the moment he had seen Gareth's life taken on the blade of a sword; known it the moment his brother's heart stopped beating.

He didn't cry. Tears were as meaningless as words.

Galahad touched his arm.

'It's alright Gawain, I miss him too.'

And suddenly words were not so meaningless.

Suddenly Gawain could not stop crying.


	5. Freedom

**Author's note:** Is it bird? Is it a plane? No, it's an update. Sorry I've been gone so long, this chapter is the first of many apologies to all of those who wish to kick me!

One for the Tristan fans (there sure are a lot of you):

**Ragged Heroes  
**_**Freedom**_

Freedom…

Tristan had always hated that word. To speak of freedom was to admit that there were boundaries and Tristan did not believe in boundaries.

Tristan had never differentiated between freedom and servitude. He didn't need to. He kept the rules he liked and broke the ones he did not like. The Romans knew it and said nothing, because a free mind was a dangerous thing; too strange for them to understand.

Tristan had never longed for the same freedom as his fellow knights. He did not have need to.

As far as Tristan was concerned, he was already free.


	6. Heartless

Author's note: There are no excuses for my ludicrously long absence but I will say here and now that I am so, _so_ sorry to anyone who's been waiting for me to get my butt into gear. My new year's resolution is to update more frequently than once a year!

Here is Lancelot's chapter for _LoveAroundEmbers_, who said she was looking forward to reading it more than a year ago. Sorry I did not deliver it until now!

**Ragged Heroes  
**_**Heartbreak**_

Lancelot knew people thought him heartbreaker; wicked and unkind. The type who told a woman what she wanted to hear and then cast her aside as soon as he had what he wanted.

Those people knew nothing of heartbreak.

Heartbreak was hearing your family scream to you as you left them behind forever. Heartbreak was leaving your homeland to fight for the country that had enslaved your people. Heartbreak was watching those that you had called brother fall to the swords of an enemy not their own.

Lancelot could not give his heart to someone when it was already broken.


	7. Ignorance

Author's note: And here's Bors; overlooked far too often, I think. I've tried to make him a bit deeper here than he is sometimes depicted as I believe that he is one of the most passionate knights, whose actions are motivated by emotion and feeling more that duty…

I hope I have done him justice.

**Ragged Heroes  
**_**Ignorance**_

Some people thought Bors ignorant; a foolish, ungrateful brute with more brawn than brains. Foolish because he believed himself immortal and ungrateful because he did not readily seize those small treasures that he had been gifted with.

Those people believed that he didn't marry Vanora because he did not think her good enough for him.

Talk about ignorance…

He did not marry Vanora because she was better than he could ever be; because she did not truly understand the meaning of heartache, loss and utter ruin.

He did not marry Vanora because she was too beautiful to be named 'Widow'.


End file.
